The extensive report on non-compliant girders installed on the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway addressed many issues, but critics say it also leaves many questions unanswered.
The Ontario government decided to salvage the girders already installed, rather than remove them.
Percy Hatfield, Windsor-Tecumseh MPP and NDP infrastructure critic, questioned Minister of Transportation Glen Murray’s decision at Queen’s Park on Thursday.
“Why are you not listening to the recommendation of the report and choosing to salvage instead of replace the girders?” asked Hatfield.
Murray responded by saying he made two very clear commitments, which he intends to keep.
“The first one was that we would not open a single structure until the chief engineer of the province, who always makes these decisions, in whom trust in his competency is placed by the people of Ontario, signs off on them,” says Murray. “The second thing I said is that this would not be a political decision. Whatever the chief engineer decided, based on his expertise, based purely on engineering.”
The report deals with the 500 girders by Freyssinet Canada Ltd. Out of those 500 girders, 288 have already been installed, with 160 having concrete deck poured on top. There is a supplementary report coming out dealing with girders from Prestressed Systems Inc.
The parkway constructors stand behind the manufacturing methods used despite the use of tack-welding.
“I think there was a process issue here, not so much a strength or a manufacturing issue," says Cindy Prince, spokesperson for the Windsor Essex Mobility Group.
The chief engineer for the Ministry of Transportation agreed, despite the use of tack-welding without proper approvals.
“The expert panel quite rightly identified that the non-compliance doesn't necessarily mean you've got a problem," says chief engineer Steve Cripps.
That's why Cripps chose not to remove the girders and is in fact allowing Freyssinet to manufacture the remaining 435 girders using the exact process that brought them under such scrutiny tack-welding.
